Trailer bed



May 2, 1939. v H. w. HAFER 2,156,850

TRAILER BED Filed May 25, 1938 `3 Sheets-Sheet l A ttornys H. w. HAFER May 2, 1939.

TRAILER BED 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25, 1958 I Inventor jmbffrv# .mlm-

Attorneys May 2, 1939- H. w. HAFER 2,156,850

TRAILER BED Filed May 25, 195B 3 Sheets-sheet 5 Inventor MZZWM A forneys Qin Patented May 2, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRAILER BED Harry W. Hafer, Winnett, Mont. Application May 25, 1938, Serial No. 210,053

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in folding beds for use more particularly in trailers.

'I'he invention is designed with the particular object in view of equipping a trailer body inexpensively with a double-deck bed which may be easily and quickly folded into compact form and stable condition, and readily unfolded when desired.

To the accomplishment of the above, and subordinate objects presently appearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, set forth in detail in the succeeding description, and defined in the claims appended hereto.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary View in longitudinal vertical section of a trailer body equipped according to my invention, the bed being shown unfolded,

Figure 2 is a similar folded,

Figure 3 is a view in vertical transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows,

Figure 4 is a View in horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 looking downwardly as indicated by the arrows,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and illustrating one of the folding legs of the lower deck in unfolded position, the parts being drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 6 is a similar View illustrating said leg as folded, and

Figure 7 is a detail view in horizontal section taken on the line I--l of Figure 1 looking downwardly as indicated by the arrows and drawn to an enlarged scale- Referring to the drawings by numerals, the bed of my invention has been shown as equipment of a trailer body I, of the usual type, including a top 2, sides 3, a oor 4, and a rear end 5 rounding, as at 6, into the top 2.

According to my invention, a pair of laterally spaced,`upstanding parallel frames 1, preferably of bar-like material, are tted into the rear of the body I upon opposite sides of the longitudinal center thereof, respectively, in spaced relation to the sides 3 and parallel therewith, each frame including a front bar 8 and a rear bar 9, an upper horizontal brace bar 'Il connecting each front and rear bar, and a similar brace bar I2 connecting the rear bars. The rear bars 9 extend from the floor 4 to the top 2 and have rounded View showing the bed forwardly extending upper ends I3 fitting against the rounded part 6 of the rear end 5 and the top 2. The terminals of said upper ends I3 are suitably connected to a bow I4 also of bar-like material and which arises from the floor 4 and ex- 5 tends upwardly along the sides 3 and across the top 2, said bow being suitably secured to said floor, sides, and top, as desired. The lower ends of the front and rear bars 8 and 9 may be anchored to the floor in any suitable manner and 10 the upper ends of the front bars 8 to the top of the bow I4. Upper horizontal brace bars I5 connect the front bars 8 to the bow I4.

Upstanding from the floor 4 in substantially the plane of each frame 'I is a channeled guide `15 I6 inclining slightly forwardly for a purpose presently seen and having at its front upper end a horizontal forwardly extending head II having the channel therein closed at its terminal as at I 'I'. The guides I 6 are arranged with their 20 channeled sides innermost.

'I'he front bars 8 of the frames 'I support therebetween a lower deck, or bed, I8, of shallow, boxlike, rectangular form and any suitable material, and which has its sides pivoted adjacent the rear 25 end of the deck to said bars 8, as at i8, so that it may be unfolded to extend forwardly of said bars 8, or folded into vertical position substantially parallel with said bars 8. As will be understood, the length of the deck la is such that its front 30 end will just clear the top of the bow I4. The front end of the deck I8 is equipped with a latch bolt 20 of the usual spring-projected type adapted, in the described folded position of said deck, to snap into an aperture 2l in the top of 35 said bow I4, whereby said deck is releasably retained in folded position.

Adjacent its front end the lower deck I8 has pivoted to the sides thereof, as at 22, a pair of folding legs 23 adapted to be swung outwardly of 40 said deck into unfolded position through slots 24 in the bottom of the deck and whereby said deck when unfolded is supported at its front end on the floor 4. The legs 23 when unfolded engage the front ends of the slots 24 whereby the un- 45 folded position of said legs is established. The outer ends of the legs 23 are notched, as at 25, so that when said legs are swung inwardly, said notches engage the rear ends of the slots 24 to establish folded position of the legs and frictionally lock the same in folded position. At suitable points along the sides thereof the deck I8 has inwardly extending staple-like members 26 secured thereto for tying a mattress to the deck. 56

An upper deck, or bed, 21, a counterpart of the deck I8, minus the latch 20, legs 23, and slots 24, is mounted in the guides I6 for folding and unfolding as follows: A pair of rollers, one of which is shown at 28, are mounted upon opposite sides of said deck 21, respectively, adjacent the rear end thereof, said rollers fitting in the channels of said guides I6 to roll therein. In the unfolded position of the lower deck 21 the rollers 28 are located in the heads I1 of the guides I6, whereby the rear end of said deck 21 is supported as will be clear. The front end of said upper deck 21 is supported, when it is unfolded, by a pair of bar-like front legs 29 pivotally mounted on the bottom of said deck, on opposite sides of the latter, respectively, by means of eye bolts 3 on said bottom, the arrangement being such that said legs 29 are freely swingable forwardly and rearwardly. A pair of socket members 3| on the front end of the lower deck I8 receive the lower ends of the legs 29, whereby the upper deck 21 is supported in horizontal position and locked to the lower deck I8 against rearward movement.

In folding the upper deck 21, the legs 29 are first lifted from the sockets 3i and said deck then shoved rearwardly' until the rollers Z8 move out of the heads I1 of the guides IG. At this point the rear end of the deck 21 gravitates downwardly and rearwardly in the guides IB to the floor 4. During such gravitation of said deck 21 the front end of the deck is swung upwardly until said deck is in a slightly forwardly inclined position. At this point a resilient catch 32 suitably secured to the top of the bow I4 snaps over a lug 33 on the front end of the upper deck 21 and latches said deck in the described folded position. In the folded position of said upper deck 21, the legs 29 swing into vertical position close to said deck. The lower deck I8 may then be folded in the manner already described.

In unfolding the decks I8 and 21, the lower one I8 is first swung downwardly into unfolded position and the upper one then swung downwardly by grasping the front end thereof and pulling forwardly thereon, whereupon the rollers 21 will ride up the inclined guides I6 into the heads I1 thereof. The legs 29 may then be -inserted in the sockets 3I in the manner previously described. A cross-bar 34 extending between the brace bars II prevents the movement of the upper deck 2'! rearwardly from its folded position.

The foregoing constitutes a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of my invention and it is believed that the invention will be readily understood therefrom without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a trailer body having a floor, sides and top, respectively, of a folding bed comprising a pair of laterally spaced frames secured to said floor in upstanding position to extend parallel with the sides of said body, a rectangular box-like deck pivoted adjacent one end thereof to said frames to swing therebetween into vertical and horizontal positions, respectively, a pair of folding legs pivotally mounted on said deck adjacent the other end thereof to be extended from said deck and support said other end on said fioor, a pair of elongated channeled guides secured to said iioor in upstanding position alongside said frames, respectively, a second deck similar to the first-mentioned deck having a pair of rollers mounted upon opposite sides of the same adjacent one end thereof and rolling in said guides whereby said second deck may be manipulated in said guides into horizontal position over said rstmentioned deck, or swung and lowered in said guides into upright position behind said firstmentioned deck, and means to support said second deck in horizontal position including lateral extensions on said guides for receiving said rollers, and legs on said second deck manipulative to seat the same on the first-mentioned deck.

2. The combination with a trailer body having a floor, sides and top, respectively, of a folding bed comprising a pair of laterally spaced frames secured to said oor in upstanding position to extend parallel with the sides of said body, a rectangular box-like deck pivoted adjacent one end thereof to said frames to swing therebetween into vertical and horizontal positions, respectively, a pair of folding legs pivotally mounted on said deck adjacent the other end thereof to be extended from said deck and support said other end on said iioor, a pair of elongated channeled guides secured to said floor in upstanding position alongside said frames, respectively, and connected at the upper ends thereof to said frames, a second deck similar to the first-mentioned deck having a pair of rollers mounted upon opposite sides of the same adjacent one end thereof and rolling in said guides whereby said second deck may be manipulated in said guides into horizontal position over said rstmentioned deck, or swung and lowered in said guides into upright position behind said firstmentioned deck, means to support said second deck in horizontal position including lateral extensions on said guides for receiving said rollers, and coacting devices on said first and second mentioned decks for supporting the other end of the second mentioned deck on the first mentioned deck at will.

3. The combination with a trailer body having a floor, of a folding bed comprising a pair of laterally spaced frames secured to said floor in upstanding position to extend parallel with the sides of said body, a deck pivoted adjacent one end thereof to said frames to swing therebetween into vertical and horizontal positions, respectively, a pair of folding legs pivotally mounted on said deck adjacent the other end thereof to be extended from said deck and support said other end on said floor, a pair of elongated channeled guides secured to said floor in upstanding position alongside said frames, respectively, a second deck having a pair of trunnions mounted upon opposite sides of the same adjacent one end thereof and disposed in said guides whereby said second deck may be manipulated in said guides into horizontal position over said first-mentioned deck, or swung and lowered into said guides into upright position behind said first-mentioned deck, and means to support said second deck in horizontal position including lateral extensions on said guides for receiving said trunnions, and legs on said second manipulative to seat the same on the first mentioned deck.

HARRY W. HAFER. 

